Registration has opened for Packaging Innovations & Empack 2027. The event will be held at the NEC Birmingham on 24 & 25 February 2027. It is the UK’s largest packaging and processing event.
The event’s theme is Innovation in Practice. It focuses on turning new ideas into real-world solutions. The packaging industry faces many challenges, including more regulation, more material choices, and growing pressure to improve sustainability and productivity. Building on a record-breaking 2026, which attracted 8,021 unique visitors, more than 500 exhibitors and representatives from over 3,000 brands, the event promises a packed programme of discovery, debate, live demonstrations and business opportunities.
Sema Tezel Basbug, Head of Marketing at Packaging Innovations & Empack, said the industry has many ideas. The real challenge is figuring out which ones can make a meaningful difference and how to put them into practice. She asked key questions: Can a new material run on existing machinery? Can an innovation improve performance and sustainability? Can it meet regulations and be produced at the right cost and scale?
The first confirmed speakers for 2027 include leaders from major global brands and technology companies. Speakers are Youssef Riad from Mars, Jane Skelton from Nichols, Toby Horne from Siemens, Vinicius Sales from PepsiCo, Emil Stickland from Kocktail, Michael Privette from the Arthritis Foundation, and Raj Kumar from HelloFresh.
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The exhibition floor will feature leading names like Amcor, Mondi, Aptar, and Coppice Alupack. A host of first-time exhibitors will also attend, including Pirlo, PackLab, Novatec, and TemperPack Technologies.
New experiences will bring the theme of Innovation in Practice to life. The Advice Clinic will offer one-to-one access to industry experts for visitors with specific challenges. Regulation in Practice will bring together Pack UK, UK Packaging PRO, and experts to discuss evolving policy and compliance requirements.
Expert-led Discovery Tours will help first-time visitors and SMEs find their way around the event. An enhanced Exhibitor Innovation Gallery will showcase new materials and technologies. Empack Tour 2.0 will demonstrate machinery and automation, showing how solutions can address real manufacturing challenges.
Basbug added that bringing the entire packaging journey together is important. Packaging Innovations explores possibilities, Empack focuses on delivery, and Contract Pack & Fulfilment helps businesses understand scaling. Her ambition for 2027 is simple: come with a question, problem, or idea and leave closer to an answer.
